The present invention relates generally to the field of irrigation, and more specifically to a stabilizer elbow lock that prevents underground quick disconnect valve couplings from being worked loose over time by repeatedly being activated by a sharp blow, as by a kick, which is typically used to open the valve.
Irrigation systems, e.g., golf course irrigation systems, typically have a number of specialized components to facilitate specific irrigation tasks. For example, for irrigation of golf course tees and golf course greens, there is typically provided an underground valve assembly to which grounds keepers connect a hose that is used to water the tee or the green. This valve assembly typically is buried under the ground and has a quick disconnect type coupling connected thereto that is connected by threads to a threaded stabilizer elbow to which a water pipe is connected. The stabilizer elbow tends to keep the valve in one place under the ground and typically has a pair of stabilizing flanges extending therefrom. Typically a hose is provided having a quick disconnect coupling at one end that includes a rigid physical extension, e.g., either an xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d bend or a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d bend. The ground crew member typically opens a valve cover, revealing the quick disconnect portion of the valve assembly, couples the quick disconnect portion of the hose to the quick disconnect portion of the valve assembly, and strikes, e.g., kicks, the physical extension (either the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d or one end of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d) causing the valve to rotate in one direction and open, thereby providing a flow of water from the water pipe through the valve and through the hose for irrigation. After using the hose for irrigation, the ground crew member typically pushes the physical extension (either the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d or one end of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d) on the opposite side, causing the valve to rotate in the opposite direction and close, thereby cutting off the flow of water from the water pipe, uncouples the quick disconnect portion of the hose from the quick disconnect portion of the valve assembly, and closes the valve cover.
Unfortunately, the act of repeatedly opening the valve by striking, e.g., kicking, the rigid hose extension tends to allow the valve to work loose, disconnecting the valve from the elbow to which it is connected. Over time, the seal between the valve and the elbow is broken, thereby allowing water to leak, which can have undesirable consequences, e.g., erosion of a sink hole under a golf tee or green that can be expensive to repair and that can be so large so as to be dangerous to golfers.
Certain innovative contractors have attempted to solve this problem by securing a length of rebar or a length of 2xc3x974 or a length of pipe to the valve, e.g., by wrapping nylon tape around them, or by securing a length of pipe or a length of slotted angle iron to the valve with a U-bolt or a muffler clamp. These attempts to solve this problem are not satisfactory for various reasons.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved coupling between a quick disconnect valve and the stabilizer elbow to which it is connected.
The present invention is directed toward a lock that can be used to prevent a quick disconnect coupling valve from being unthreaded from the elbow to which it is connected.
In a broad sense, the lock of the present invention is a lock to prevent a seal between a coupler valve and a fitting from being broken, the coupler valve having at least one coupler valve surface and the fitting having at least one fitting surface. In this context, the lock comprises at least one locking member having a first portion shaped to engage at least a portion of the at least one coupler valve surface and a second portion shaped to engage at least a portion of the at least one fitting surface, the first and second portions cooperating to prevent relative motion between the coupler valve and the fitting sufficient to break the seal between the coupler valve and the fitting.
One implementation of the lock of the present invention is a lock to prevent a seal between a coupler valve and a stabilizer elbow from being broken, the coupler valve having at least one nut-shaped portion and the stabilizer elbow having at least one stabilizer structure extending therefrom. In this embodiment, the lock comprises first and second locking members having a first portion shaped to engage the at least one nut-shaped portion of the coupler valve and a second portion having an opening through which the at least one stabilizer structure of the stabilizer elbow extends and a retaining ring for engaging the first locking member and the second locking member allowing the first and second locking members to cooperate to prevent relative rotational motion between the coupler valve and the stabilizer elbow sufficient to break the seal between the coupler valve and the stabilizer elbow.
Additionally, the locking members can have optional structures such as one or more stabilizing structures that adds positional stability to the coupler valve when installed, such as an anti-rotational collar.